Golf Club: Wasteland is quite the creative experience that you should check out. It uses golf quite well to convey a message, even if it is a bit ham-fisted at times. And then there’s a solid 2D golf game with replayability to go along with its narrative and thematic elements. Rare is the game that gets you thinking about modern society, while being angry that you missed the shot to get past a giant, irradiated giraffe. Well done, Demagog Studio.

Hebereke Enjoy Edition offers up one of the NES’s lesser-known greats with a fine assortment of options and extras to help it shine even brighter. While the unusual approach to translating the game is not ideal, it’s hard to hold it against the game too much. Hebereke/Ufouria is a spectacular game that is still as entertaining as ever, and one I would heartily recommend to anyone.

The ingenious level designs and dark humor of Karoshi is worth occasionally fighting the controls for.

This new remaster of Monster Hunter Stories is easily the best way to experience an actual 3DS classic from Capcom. I always said Monster Hunter Stories was the best looking 3DS game, and it now shines on modern screens thanks to a remaster that did a lot more than I expected. While it isn’t as good as Monster Hunter Stories 2, Monster Hunter Stories is still worth playing for not only fans of the Monster Hunter games, but also fans of RPGs in general. It is obviously aimed at a younger audience so keep that in mind, but there’s no denying Monster Hunter Stories is excellent in just about every way.

The two games in Ace Attorney Investigations Collection offer an interesting contrast, and taken as one whole I think it’s a great experience overall. Getting the second game localized officially is amazing, and the suite of options and extras make for an excellent package. With this, every Ace Attorney game outside of the weird crossover with Professor Layton is now available on the Switch. If you like the series enough to have picked those up, you’ll definitely want to grab this as well.

Even though it’s a bit short, Doomsday Vault is a joy to play. Its easy puzzles and great environment lets you have a relaxing and fun experience that leaves you craving for more.

Those wanting a serious sim challenge in an unlikely arena, look no further than Vertigo Gaming's culinary tablet masterpiece.

The controls are responsive and well-suited to touch devices, but more importantly, Kairo brings something fresh and unique to the platform -- there's nothing like it, to the best of my knowledge, on the App Store. We need more games like it.

A wonderfully updated version of the classic arcade game. It's missing some features, most notably a multiplayer component, but the single player offering is more than competent and a lot of fun.

Barring a few issues, Cupid Parasite is another fantastic otome game from Idea Factory and one that is a great way to get into the genre if you’ve wanted more of a romantic comedy than the usual beats in otome games. I hope we get more otome games like this in the future.

If my only complaint with a game is that it gets over too soon and I want more of it, I take that as a good sign. Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is a lovely and charming surprise that I enjoyed playing for about three hours. On paper, the voice acting and music with this aesthetic shouldn’t work, but the developers managed to pull through and deliver something special. You can also press a button to quack.

Gimmick! 2 defies the odds by being a very good follow-up to a decades-old game made by another team entirely. It builds on the original game in some smart ways, but it never feels like it’s paying too much homage to be its own thing. If you enjoyed the first game, you’ll be thrilled with this. Platformer fans who aren’t put off by a high level of challenge will also want to check it out. That said, if you’re looking for something easy-going, don’t be fooled by the look of Gimmick! 2. It’s just as tough of a nut to crack as its predecessor, even with an easier difficulty setting.

I’m not a fan of it being online-only, but barring that, Diablo 4 is brilliant, and I hope Blizzard releases the soundtrack on vinyl soon. Diablo 4 feels like a game Blizzard made to show it still has it. I adored Diablo 3, Hearthstone, and the first two years of Overwatch, but never really clicked much with the publisher’s releases since. Diablo 4 is a true Blizzard home run, and one I look forward to playing for years to come. Even in its current state, it is a massive win, and a superb base to build on.

Overall, Card of Darkness is a fantastic game. Its simple, yet addictive gameplay, fantastic visuals, and creative battles outweigh the mild annoyance you might get by its randomly generated dungeons.

The Lara Croft Collection brings two excellent games to the Switch in superb form. Only the lack of online multiplayer keeps me from climbing up the nearest mountain and shouting about these, but I’ll gladly scamper up a hill and give a solid yell. If you’ve never played these games before, you really should. And this just happens to be a fantastic way to do so. Whether exploring alone or pulling a friend or three along, you’ll have an awesome time with this scorching duo of games.

When it works, it works unbelievably well - and with no asking price for those early, heart-pounding moments, there's absolutely no reason not to get this game.

If you're fond of The Walking Dead and want to play something that takes that source material seriously, and tells a great story while it does it, this game is definitely it. If you're looking for something much more involving from a joystick perspective, you might want to look elsewhere.

The music is really soothing as well and will get you in the mood of the game. It fits a puzzler well and will make you relax as you lay back and use your logic side of the brain to figure the solutions to rooms' layouts. The game is truly worth checking out for anyone in the mood to think a bit, relax, and enjoy a soothing gameplay experience that works perfectly on the touchscreen.

Flock is a delightful and gorgeous experience that absolutely delivered what I wanted in a new game from the Hohokum developers. It sounds amazing and is a relaxing experience almost all the way. It will not be for everyone, but Flock managed to hit every right note and I’m now working my way through it again on PS5 after playing it on Steam Deck.

The new Karateka legitimately feels like it might be what Mechner's original idea would have been, if then were now. And that's a win. For those who remember the original, the new Karateka must not be missed.

There's very little to complain about with Quadropus Rampage. It's an excellent roguelike/brawler hybrid with a control system that matches the fast-paced action.

It doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking, but it’s a well put together package of all the things you want in an RPG on your iOS device. There’s plenty of content, a storyline that will keep you relatively engaged, and weapons, armor, spells and crafting to keep you playing for quite some time. Assuming you have an iPad (or at the bare minimum, an iPhone Plus) it’s certainly worth giving it a chance.

All in all, this is a good return to form for a series that has been struggling with where to go since it attempted a protagonist switch. It hopefully goes without saying that if you enjoyed all of the other Ace Attorney games, you will enjoy this one. If you're new to the series, I definitely would not recommend starting here as it's somewhat steeped in its own lore. If, like me, you found Dual Destinies to be somewhat wanting, you might find Spirit of Justice scratches your itch a little better. The pacing is improved, there's a bit more challenge, and the characters make a lot more sense. If nothing else, its pun game is certainly on point. A good turn for Ace Attorney overall, and a smooth handling of what was becoming some very messy loose narrative threads.

In a lot of ways, Vampire Survivors: Legacy of the Moonspell reminds me of the Dead Cells paid DLC where each pack offers a ton of value, but a lot of the players are just happy to throw more support to the developers for more free and paid content. If you enjoyed Vampire Survivors, the Legacy of the Moonspell DLC is an essential. The new map is massively awesome, and I can’t wait for the superb new songs to be added to the soundtrack. If this is the direction poncle takes with future paid content, I’m ready to keep gifting friends the game and its DLC across platforms.

This is a surprisingly lore and story rich game for a twin stick shooter.

Honestly, I was not expecting to like Snowboard Party 2 as much as I did. I didn’t think that carving through snow would be anything but frustrating with a touchscreen, but I was (mostly) proven wrong.

From app presentation, to CCG elements for players, and plush gameplay that will last for hours, Football Heroes is more than a “beat ‘em up”; it is a major leap forward in the mobile sports genre and a testament to what can be achieved with great development and patience.

I quite recommend Solitairica if you enjoy roguelikes, card games, and/or card game roguelike hybrids. I'm glad this game finally hit mobile, because it's a perfect fit for the platform, and while the solitaire core may be a bit frustrating to deal with at times, the game is overall a very strong experience. And seriously, if you need an excuse to zone out for hours on end, Solitairica may just be the best game you can play right now to do that.

Ace Combat 7: Unknown Skies is an excellent port of a high-quality action game, and it fills a gaping hole in the Switch’s library almost perfectly. It’s more approachable than you might expect, and it’s very easy to get sucked into both its story and gameplay. It’s unfortunate that the multiplayer seems to have a handful of oversights and balance issues, but you’ll get your time and money’s worth out of the campaign and its many unlockables all on its own. Definitely one to add to the collection for those feeling the need for speed.

The challenging, speed-focused gameplay more than earns this one a spot on the device of any word game fan, without a doubt.

I could go on about how Avadon 2 is another fine example of classic RPG gameplay on the iPad but the simple fact is if you’ve enjoyed any other Spiderweb Software games, you really need to check out this sequel. It’s probably my favorite offering from the developers and a great example of not only an awesome old-school RPG but also a pretty good port.

The pricepoint may scare some people off, but any flight simulation junkie that yearns for the olden days of Tie Fighter and Rogue Squadron will have fun with Alpha Squadron 2.

Overall, Journey on iOS is a must play if you’ve never played it before. Hopefully the few issues like the audio bugs on older devices and camera controls are addressed in a future update. The lack of controller support is pretty baffling considering this is originally a console game and I hope proper controller support is added at least when iOS 13 ships. If you’ve already played Journey on PlayStation or PC platforms, this is the only portable version and it has been a joy to play on iPad and iPhone years after replaying it on PlayStation 4.

This game is perfect for anyone with a love of stories, puzzles, and fixing things alike, but I highly recommend everyone take a quick peek at it. There’s an even balance between story and puzzle so I doubt you’ll find it lacking in any one area. Assemble With Care is truly one of the best apps I’ve played in far too long and really left me wanting more even though the story was wrapped up quite well. No matter if you’re still in your parents’ house or already having children of your own, I feel confident in recommending this game to each and every one of you.

Overall, this is by far the most impressive of all of Feral Interactive’s iOS conversions yet. Given how awful XCOM 2 was at launch on PS4 for me and how it runs on current consoles, I’m more than impressed with the iOS version and can safely recommend it above the consoles as an alternative to those who want the full XCOM 2 experience and don’t want to play on PC with the caveat about the visuals. The XCOM 2 Collection is a joy to play on iPad Pro and I can’t wait to see where the port goes over the next few months with potential updates and maybe even potential features brought in.

If you're willing to put in the time and patience, however, Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is among the best roguelikes currently available on the App Store. It's something you could find yourself playing for literal months if not longer, and it doesn't cost a thing. All of that is probably worth a little (okay, a lot) of discomfort with the control set-up.

With a core mechanic as simple as climbing over the fallen bodies of your past incarnations, Sometimes is fun, unique, and memorable.

However, in the great scheme of things there's little to complain about in this excellent sequel to a great game.

I’m talking about A Small Game’s Hanger World [Free], and it’s packed full of all kinds of Spider-Mans slinging themselves this way and that. As it turns out, it’s also a really, really fun game.

Overall, What The Golf? is a silly, fun little game filled with popular references, different characters to control, and a lot of lame and funny puns. While you might get stuck in a few levels, the game is entertaining enough to keep playing until you figure them out. Even if the game is not that long, it will give you a crazy experience that will keep you entertained and make you chuckle.

At the end of the day, Punch Club is pretty awesome, and it uses nostalgia creatively.

While there's a little more flab on its restless bones than Hoplite, it's easy to love Lamp And Vamp for its sense of humor and its success at achieving that wonderful feeling of vulnerable empowerment.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is verified on Steam Deck by Valve, and it is absolutely worth your time if you’ve never played it before. If you have, I wouldn’t recommend it at full price. You’re better off waiting for a sale and a few patches (if you play on Windows).

I feel like a broken record at this point, but Live Wire has pulled off yet another fantastic Nintendo Switch port of an outstanding game. Shoot-em-up fans really should own all of these Cave releases from this developer, as they are easily among the best games in the genre available on the console. While DoDonPachi Resurrection is the last of the trio of titles announced by Live Wire a while back, I certainly hope it is merely the last of the first. I’ll take as many of these top-tier adaptations of legendary classics as these folks are willing to serve up.

Simply a stunner in both execution and gameplay, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

The only reason you should avoid Return to Monkey Island is if you don’t enjoy point and click adventure games that can have some obtuse puzzles. This release does enough with accessibility and hints to negate that, but I’d only hesitate in recommending it to that group of people. If you do enjoy the games, just go buy Return to Monkey Island on iOS and enjoy your weekend with it. It rules.

On the whole, Book of Demons is an easy recommendation, especially for iPad. With the Flexiscope, a feature that allows you to pick the amount of time you want to play and a dungeon based on that play time will be created for you, it is capable of delivering both a short romp and a longer dive. While it doesn’t have the near infinite replayability of Diablo, that doesn’t mean it isn’t replayable at all. It is, and it’s just as good the second, third, or even fourth time through as it is on the first.

If you're a fan of Trailer Park Boys, Greasy Money is an effortless recommendation. If you're not into the show, it's still an incredibly competent idle game that mixes up enough of the standard mechanics in a way that somehow manages to feel fresh- Particularly with the boss battles and the way the prestige system works. However, it's difficult to say if you'll appreciate it as much as someone who is picking up every tiny reference the game drops. Personally, I love Trailer Park Boys, and idle clicker games are a guilty pleasure, so this is the perfect game for me. I could definitely see how it might not be for everyone though, particularly with the (censored) swearing and drug themes which pop up.

Instead, the game shines because of the way it does the core mechanics so well, and invigorates a stale genre that has been copied and churned out so many times since iOS gaming began in 2008.

With some elbow grease and a good once over, Spellsword could easily earn a permanent spot on my iPhone. It's really that good.

The folks at Digital Application Design have done a great job of bringing this shooter classic to a modern platform, and those who enjoyed Alien Breed so many years ago will be pleased to see that the feel of the original has been well preserved in its journey 20 years forward in time.

Pizza Hero doesn’t reinvent the cheese wheel by any means, but its specific seasonings add an extra flavor to the familiar Vampire Survivors dish. The fun theme, bevy of interesting upgrades, enjoyable list of achievements, and solid action make for a game well-worth playing even if you’ve gorged yourself on a large serving of other titles in the genre. Sometimes it’s just one secret ingredient and a bit of charm that can make a dish its own, and that’s what Pizza Hero offers.

Unavowed is one of those rare adventure games that I feel can appeal even to those who are not predisposed to play the genre. Its compelling story, well-developed cast of characters, strong production values, and carefully-designed gameplay mechanics create one of the better adventure game packages I’ve seen this side of Thimbleweed Park. As long as you’re okay with some grisly content (you’re investigating demonic killers, not a theft at the bubblegum factory after all), you should give this game a look. It’s really something special.

Goofy though it may be, Atomic Super Lander is awfully enjoyable. It's one of those games where even its rougher elements help add to the overall package. So long as you can keep a good sense of humor about your inevitable failures, you'll get plenty of laughs and thrills out of this one. I don't know if it's something I'll be playing over the long term, but I've certainly gotten my share out of it in the here and now. All of that without even a single Aerosmith song on the soundtrack.

The wait for Gundam Breaker 4 has been super long, and I didn’t even think we’d see a new game in the series after New Gundam Breaker, but here we are. Gundam Breaker 4 is real and it is spectacular in almost every way. It is my favorite Steam Deck game this year since Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance, and one I look forward to playing online and offline over the coming months with all the DLC planned.

All of the various systems in the game come together in a delightful mix of clever new ideas and familiar tried and true concepts.

MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED feels unreal in a good way. Not only is it one of Level-5’s best games in years, but it is a fantastic mech action game packed with tons of quality content. The fact that it even has cross platform save letting me take my progress across Switch and Steam Deck only sweetens the deal. I hope it gets a demo so that more folks can try and see why it is so good before committing to the full priced purchase though.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is instantly one of the best indie games of 2023. It is Deconstructeam’s finest work yet, and proves that Devolver Digital still has it in them to publish the kind of games I originally became a fan of theirs for in the first place. Now we just need a physical release with a nice big artbook for all the cards and gorgeous pixel art included in The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood.

Regardless of my personal struggles with stealth gameplay, Worse Than Death is an incredible experience of love, life, and the past that haunts Holly. She’s the type of heroine you cheer for whenever she succeeds, and that you truly feel bad for when something goes wrong. The simple gameplay enhances the narrative by not overpowering it, and the use of auditory cues really is amazing. Simply put, Worse Than Death more than lives up to my expectations for it, and I already look forward to my next playthrough.

Eminently satisfying to play.

The whole package is a visual treat with a real knack for design, and it's also a fun, fresh game.

Despite the fact that Cloud Spin can be bested in a single afternoon, it's absolutely worthy of a purchase if you're into flight simulators.

The game is nostalgic in all the best ways, enhanced by today’s technology. The bleeps and buzzes and vibrations make it feel like there is a real virtual pet in my hand, when really I have multiple in one device. The sheer amount of customization for your avatar and the Noa casings is remarkable. Most importantly, as I initially stated, it feels like home: entirely familiar and can be navigated with your eyes closed. Now please excuse me, as I need to get back to discovering new species!

But this sequel takes what was already an excellent game and cleans it up in all the ways that count.

How it made me feel more like the protagonist than most other games, simply by having me fill in the words the Department decided should not be spoken...

Now that it has launched on all consoles with online crossplay support, there has never been a better time to check it out, and I’m shocked at how good it feels to play online on Nintendo Switch. With most fighters, you usually have great experiences on PlayStation and Xbox systems with Switch being a subpar experience. With Them’s Fightin’ Herds, the Switch version is a fantastic port of an excellent fighting game.

It feels surreal to see Vampire Survivors have such a great version on iOS and Android already. I kept thinking it might release on Nintendo Switch and eventually PlayStation following the Xbox and PC versions before coming to mobile. Not only is it worth downloading, but it is completely free. Hopefully the mobile version eventually catches up with the PC and Xbox versions so we get DLC and updates at the same time. Until then, I’m getting back to trying to reach where I am on Steam Deck on my iPhone from the start, and having an absolute blast with Vampire Survivors again.

A must-own, Score! Classic Goals is a love letter to the game of soccer.

It does everything you would expect from such a title. No more, no less. If there are any complaints that I have about the game, it's probably the occasional sluggishness and the fact that Burrito Bison seems to have a habit of periodically crashing on my iPhone 4S. That said, it's still a pretty sweet port.

In terms of replay value, the random nature of the encounters and the initial difficulty means there is plenty into which to sink your teeth, and even if there never is another card or class or land added, it's going to be a while until you've beaten the Lich and exhausted all of the possibilities in Meteorfall. For just a few bucks, it's a fun alternative to most mobile card games that still happens to use cards, and it's a clever enough tweak to your expectations that it will almost certainly make you smile a few times between cursing out your deaths.

Even though it's not a perfect game, especially in some of the UI choices and the game's dark palette, this is a game I recommend without hesitation to any CCG player or any player who enjoys beautiful and clever games.

Okay, so WazHack is a roguelike, and one that owes a lot to Nethack [Free / Free (HD)], including a turn-based mechanic, shopkeepers who will mess you up if you screw with them, and the permadeath.

Micromon is probably one of the best dollars you can spend on a Japanese-style RPG in the App Store, and if you're even slightly into monster collecting, you're going to get a fantastic amount of value out of this game.

It's well worth the price tag and you'll find yourself so empathetic for the rocket's goals that you'll push yourself to finish it no matter how hard it gets.

Sunless Sea is easily one of the best narrative-based games on the App Store, and I would easily venture to say that it's one of a kind. The sailing and exploration parts combine almost seamlessly with the narrative part and help to deliver a fantastic game that you shouldn't miss out on. And this time around, we also have an app that works great, which is definitely a plus. Hopefully, we'll get the Zubmariner expansion soon for more madness and terror, but until then, there's more than plenty to do in Sunless Sea, including go mad and eat your friends.

Combined with the crazy visuals and the streamlined RPG mechanics and you have an impressive experience that is well recommended.

Slingshot Racing is a fresh take on racing games and is a shining example of a game that's well-suited to the touch screen and the mobile nature of iOS devices.

If you played the original and loved it, Space Marshals 2 is a better version of that. If you were on the fence in part because of the original game's stealth handling, the new stealth kills might help you out. If you didn't care for the original, or the concept doesn't appeal to you at all, then stay the course.

Pigs in Trees only has one mode, based on a simple concept, but this drawing arcade game is so well delivered, that it deserves to be successful. We're already looking forward to the Spring levels.

Despite those few issues, Gurk III is an excellent game for anyone who enjoys a good RPG.

There's a lot to love with Strike Team, but I think the most important thing it nails is that simple feeling of playing a Call of Duty game.

LostWinds2: Winter of the Melodias is a beautifully presented bit of childlike magic and irrefutable proof that wholesomeness does not necessarily have to be boring.

With Gentlemen!, it shows a sense of honor as well. Certainly, there may be a limit to the insults that would require a game such as this (sadly it cannot be used to address the insults one must endure online), but for Gentlemen! it might just be worth inventing a few new reasons to take offense.

For the price, this is one hell of an adventure, and the gameplay experience is just about as refined as can be.

The absolute best Fighting Fantasy books are still to come, but this is one of the real classics in the series, so if you enjoy gamebooks or goofy sci-fi, I encourage you to give it a try.

This is a premium game through-and-through, with no IAPs in sight, and if you are a wargamer of any type, you should play Vietnam '65 so you can see how an innovative take on war can offer many hours of fresh and thought-provoking gameplay.

I know Wildfrost will not be for everyone, and I’d have that caveat with my recommendation, but it is a “free to try" game on iOS, so there’s no real reason to not download it and give it a shot. I think it is more than worth its asking price on iOS, and it is immediately one of the best mobile releases of 2024 so far. While I am glad I finally played it, I’m annoyed I wasn’t obsessing over it last year when it debuted on Switch and Steam. I have rectified my mistake at least with this new port. Go download Wildfrost right now.

ESCHATOS is a fantastic shoot-em-up experience all on its own but when you throw in Judgement Silversword, Cardinal Sins, and the various extra modes and features included in this package, you end up with an incredibly easy game to recommend. Should you choose to fully indulge in all it has to offer, ESCHATOS will keep you busy for hours on end. Not that there was much doubt, but this Switch version of the game runs like a dream. Another superb addition to the system’s shoot-em-up library, and one that even genre newcomers may find digestible.

If you could only have one Fruit Ninja game on your phone, I'd tell you to keep the original. It has a lot more to offer. But Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots is well worth playing, even if it's more expansion than stand-alone.

It's a whole different world on that side of the App Store, but I think Crowntakers holds it own quite well with its unusual blend of elements from roguelikes, strategy games, and RPGs.

Bitwave’s new version of Batsugun also includes the Batsugun Special Version release that includes multiple loops, changed enemies, different visuals, and more. If you’re new to Batsugun, this release is excellent, and worth grabbing even standalone if you aren’t interested in the other games in the collection. This new version is a much more responsive version of Batsugun compared to the CityConnection release as well.

While it may be easy to start the descent in Journey Below, it's a far harder task to reach the bottom - and even more difficult to put down.

Ouros was already well worth the asking price on Steam earlier this year, and the lower price on mobile makes it an even easier recommendation. If you enjoy relaxing puzzle games, Ouros is an essential. I hope we see more from developer Michael Kamm in the puzzle space in the near future.

Rebuild probably won't satisfy fans of intensely deep strategy, but for anyone interested in a few hours of light strategy fun, it's quite the catch.

Fist of Awesome embodies the word fun; everything about it.

Spooklands does a lot more with its concept than it really has any right to do – the game is spectacularly designed, and a ton of fun to play, even while fighting for every last point. This is a must-play arena shooter.

Whale Trail contains all the components of a hit iOS game – colorful visuals, catchy music, a cute main character, and gameplay that's easy for anybody to pick up but hard to master. But somehow, it manages to not feel forced or contrived.

It's one of those rare strategy games that anyone can pick up and play and find an infinite number of ways to tackle its challenge provided that they know how to play Tic-Tac-Toe.